The 2011 holiday season is giving the vast multitudes of Denver Broncos plenty to celebrate as the team is far ahead of the dismal preseason predictions of pro football pundits.
This is not written as criticism of what seemed at the time to be logical projection, but serves once again as a reminder that all preseason predictions are predicated on the previous year’s performance.
New year, new leadership and coaching, new results. Or maybe, we should say, new half year.
For all the dramatic developments the Broncos have made this year have come since the team was 1-4, a time frame when Head Coach John Fox acknowledged that he and the coaching staff was stilling getting to know the team. Looks like the “getting to know you” phase is moving along very well.
This is just the third time in Broncos history that the team has been three games under .500 at any point in the year and came back to even.
From 1-4 to 6-5, the Broncos are relevant, the fans are ecstatic and the core mix of young and veteran players bodes well for the future.
But as George Allen liked to say, the future is now, and now is plenty impressive.
The Broncos have joined only the 1971 Miami Dolphins in the post-merger National Football League (1970 to the present) to have a four-game span in which the team committed one or fewer turnovers, held opponents to 60 or fewer points and rushed for 876 or more yards.
Two teams: the 1971 AFC champion Dolphins, and your Denver Broncos this year. That, folks, is one sobering statistic.
The defense, running game, offensive line and special teams all have had major roles in this remarkable turnaround.
And then there is the play of the quarterback.
It seems as though there is a new “first” in every game Tim Tebow plays.
This week’s latest is that in addition to some fine passes at critical junctures—end of the first half and end of the game (both are pretty critical, right?)–his 22 rushing attempts rank as the most carries by a quarterback since 1950 in NFL play.
Also, for the season Tebow has one interception and one fumble on 237 times touching the ball, second lowest figure of any quarterback in the league, trailing only Aaron Rodgers of the World Champion Green Bay Packers.
Like all statistics, it is just a grouping of numbers, but it IS a statistic, nevertheless.
Lots of events happen in a game, and sometimes, over a period of years, there is déjà vu.
When the Chargers had a field goal blocked in overtime, with the block negated by Denver calling time out, this was the second time in history that San Diego had two chances at an overtime field goal to beat the Broncos, each time with the first one blocked, and each time with Denver calling a time out to give San Diego a second chance.
This was the second time—out of two—for it to work out badly for the Broncos. As we all know, Sunday in San Diego the second attempt was wide right, then Tebow drove the Broncos down the field for the winning field goal by Matt Prater.
But back on November 17, 1985 in a game played at Mile High Stadium, Broncos Ring of Fame safety Dennis Smith blocked the field goal, only to have team captain Mike Harden call time out.
Smith said in the huddle—and this seems so incredulous, that he thought he could block it again!
As crazy as that sounds, remember that great players are defined by making great plays at pivotal times in a game.
Smith in fact did block his second kick in a span of 45 seconds, and this time it took an absolutely perfect bounce into the hands of another future Ring of Famer, cornerback Louis Wright, who picked it up on the fly (and he was the fastest player on that field, or most any other field, most of the time) and dashed untouched into the end zone for a 30-24 Denver win.
As Yogi Berra says, sometimes it’s a case of déjà vu, all over again.
Anything can happen when two NFL teams take the field. There is nothing like the theater of the NFL, and the Broncos are center stage in that theater in 2011.
Next performance is at Minnesota this Sunday. The Broncos will be hoping for another curtain call in what has developed into a special season for the team and its fans.
Tags: Jim Saccomano, San Diego Chargers, Week 12
Hey, I think you meant that it “was the second time—out of two—for it to work out *well* for the Broncos” but a great blog post, nonetheless!
This team is so cohesive right now, that I’ll believe just about anything can happen. Call them miracles or call them coincidences, but these statistics and comparisons to greatness are certainly making for a fun season. It makes me proud to be one of the fans who stuck with the team through the early dark times, knowing that it was only a matter of time until things turned around.
GO BRONCOS!!!! EAT SOME PURPLE PEOPLE ON SUNDAY!!!
This post probably won’t get a great response because it is not all hail Tebow….but it is extremely accurate….the aligning of things happened just right…the 6-8 starters that were out including Champ and DJ on defense returned..Fox figured out the safety situation and they took the air out of the ball….brilliant….Fox is COACH OF THE YEAR….without question….Green Bay’s coach will get it if they go undefeated but I still think Fox is doing a better job.
Morning Carnage!
It’s nice to have the starters back healthy and a guy like Tebow to help get the most out of them!
This D has the base to be really special in years and Fox is doing a wonderful Job!
I will do a daily Tebow for you!!!
*for years not in years
Did you see the joke about Tebow I reposted for you last week?
CarnageBronc, I hear you and you’re right we got healed up on defense and our o-line is playing as a unit. This all combined with effectively running the ball with McGahee and Tebow mixed in with very few passes.
I just wonder though and I’m sure you have as well, what if we started Orton when all the things are aligning for us? I guess we’ll never know, but I’m just wondering we, the fans, all see that things were aligning, so why wouldn’t Fox see that and decide to start Orton? Just a metaphorical question really. It does make one wonder…
Anyone know the word on the status of AP?
Team is firing on all cylinders, thill alot of big plays given up on defense and a few mental errors but they come through when they need too and they are still only 1yr in the system. If this team were to win the superbowl (that’s a big if im not even saying we are superbowl bound or anything like that) if they did, this would be truely a team of rag tag randoms. Sure people are making names for themselves like Miller and Decker, and we have established guys like Doom, dawk, dj and champ, but this team isn’t one u look at and say … MAN THEY ARE SOMETHING. Far from it actually. But every team has issues. Even the all mighty packers, it is all just masked by the awesome play of Aaron Rodgers and the offense always outscoring. Like mike klis said on nfl network this week, Tebow might be 2nd place for MVP behind rodgers cuz no one else impacts their team more than those 2, which is ironic because just after the lions game, he called Tebow the worst QB in the NFL. Gotta love flip floppers.
I am just loving the way this team is playing right now, as a unit, with each crew and individual doing their part and assignment. Just that belief in each other is something special and I love what this team is becoming. Truly special. Altho everything is usually honky dorry when winning. We should be able to put Minisotta awy especially if AP can’t play. Rookie Qb, shaky oline, and a relentless pass rush. Could be a brutal day for Ponder going against a perrenial pro bowler and an unstoppable pass rush. A comeback might not be required in this one. TRB
3-8 Del Rio fired.
First HC to go down this season…
I think this week we could force Ponder into making poor throws resulting in interceptions along Dumervil and Miller maybe getting some strip sacks!
Mcgahee is running better too but what people don’t understand is if defenders don’t hit their hole instinctively, that split second can equal a big run, and its hard for them to hit their gap if they take a split second to make sure Tebow doesn’t have the ball on the edge, and THAT’S why the run game is even more ferrocious, and this oline, man o man are they blocking. And because Tebow runs alot, they don’t like to blitz him because if they miss him, he is gone … ask the jets on that last td run by tebow … that’s why this past game tebow had all day to pass, because they didn’t wanna risk the rush, not just because of the great blocking by our oline. TT is at the core of why this team is playing well, he is the heart and the x factor, rhe belief they share in each other and him is why they play at maximum capability because they know that there is always hope. The entire team has the will to win.
“Iron sharpeneth Iron, so one man sharpens another.”
This team is feeding off eachother and sharpening each others play.
I believe even prater benefitted from that clutch kick win. I think he will be kicking better henceforth.
Go Broncos. TRB
Del rio is jax right? Sounds like the OC that auditioned with us from jags might be the interim.
TRB
I must say I’m leary about this game with the Vikings. It’s indoors, they are 2-9 with nothing to lose. We should beat this team. I’ll say it again though we could be in charge of the AFC west in 2 weeks. Miami could even stun the raiders this week. I don’t think the raiders will beat GB or the Lions which should put us at least in a tie record wise and we have the tie breaker right now with a better division record.
They are talking about moving the Patroits vs Broncos game to Sunday night so the whole world can watch Tebow. Just heard that on 9 News here.
Jags totally shoulda gotten tebow. Florida boy. Bunch of gator fans down there. If nothing else he woulda helped them sell tickets. But maybe they planned too, just not in da first round. McD outscooped alot of people.
Suh suspended for 2 games. Im seriously starting to lose all respect for that guy. There is nasty toughness and then there is bush league, dirty playing … and he is crossing the line. Heard alot about his character and how humble a guy he was etc … sounds like he is starting to feel himself too much.
TRB
We needed suh to play da raiders…and he might be back just in time for that game. But I wouldn’t sleep on miami. They are playing harder these days and any given Sunday. Same way I wont sleep on vikes, once upon a time we were the team with the really bad record that people called an easy win not too long ago. Anything is possible. That’s why we play the game and that’s why I love da game. TRB
Right TRB. The Dolphins could upset the raiders. I hope we don’t sleep on the Vikes. They can play the run pretty well and Jared Allen is a pure beast.
The Lions having Suh for the raiders would have been nice for sure especially since they will likely have McFadden back by then. Wish we played the raiders at the end for the division title.
To answer the question I think if the defesne was playing the way it is playing now we would have won those games with Orton…I picked this team to go 10-6 BEFORE Tebow….on the strength that we would be running the ball and playing good D. No one ever acknowledges the fact that Orton brought the team back against the Raiders the first game…closed the gap, and if the D made ONE STOP he would have gotten the ball back…would he have converted the Orton hater would have said NO…Bronco fan watching the game and seeing how well he played near the end would say yes…fact is who knows….I still think we would have won the games we won with Orton…ESPECIALLY with the defense and ST playing at such a high level
One of the things the media is not really hitting on is the defensive tackles for Denver. No one is really going into detail how well they are playing this season when everyone ran through us like a sive! Especially when you throw in the fact that Vickerson and Warren went out early on. Bunkley, Thomas, McBean, are all making the difference in my opinion. This is making it possible for Doom and Von to take on the outside blockers. Allen is calling a great defense!
With his track record, 2 games is a mild punishment. He should have been suspended at least 4 or 5 games, if not the remainder of the season. But, this 2 games will cost him 160k+ and also cost the Lions 50k.
This brings me to a concern I have about Miller. He was fined 15k on his 1st offense for a hit on a qb (I think), and this last penalty was for 25k. I am concerned about him because this last hit looked to me like it was an o.k. hit. I have yet to find any analysts that says it was an illegal hit. What are these defensive players going to do if they start penalizing them every time they hit someone?
If you look back through our photos of Miller and our defense practicing their tackle techniques with the dummy, then look at the tackle he made on the qb, they are identical hits. The only difference is one dummy is stuffed and the other isn’t.
And can anyone answer this…I have asked it before
All the Tebow supporters say he “makes teh team play at their best”, are you saying that the team we supported, was not playing their best previously?
Also, if it is a question of Tebow “inspiring” people, why has our offense regressed and our defense progressed when Tebow plays offense.
And can anyone answer this…I have asked it before
All the Tebow supporters say he “makes teh team play at their best”, are you saying that the team we supported, was not playing their best previously?
Also, if it is a question of Tebow “inspiring” people, why has our offense regressed and our defense progressed when Tebow plays offense…
Carnage, all I can say is you need to ask the players.
new blog
This game has me worried. It’s essentially a trap game in my eyes since we will likely be favored for the first time in about 2 months. If Adrian Peterson is out again I’ll feel a little bit better.
Never gave my thoughts on the game. I’ve been shying away from site with all of the nonsense. Looks like the blog administrators have done a good job taking care of that.
Just a couple of things:
Goodman looked great for the first time in a long time.
Walton played his best game of the year (I watch the Oline and Dline more than anything else during a game)
Beadles was also stellar. I’ve had my doubts about him but he’s a great fit for this style of running where he is pulling and showing off his athleticism for a big guy.
The normal guys played great as well (Bailey, Von, Doom, Bunkley, Decker, Mays, DJ)
I can’t say enough about Dennis Allen and his staff. Unbelievable turnaround and hopefully we can keep him in town for a while.
Biggest thing for me was Fox’s decision NOT to go for it on 4th down in overtime. He didn’t give into emotions and trusted his special teams and defense to get Tebow the ball back in good field position.
I don’t think it is a case of physically “playing their best,” I think it is just the mentality of it. You can play your best and if your leader isn’t leading you feel like it doesn’t matter. If your leader is leading then you feel that you’re playing at your best. It’s just that feeling/mentality.
I feel that the only thing on offense that has regressed is our passing game. That is partly due to Tebow and partly due to the coaching staff. I think they don’t want to necessarily let Tebow pass because of what could happen and Tebow needs to work on his footwork and anticipating his target getting open instead of waiting for them to “be” open.
Carnage….. Our offense seems to have regressed because they are playing to Tebow’s strengths. He has a high iq for running the ball, there is no doubt about that. He is basically a rookie starting. He has had the benefit of sitting and watching for the equivalent of a season and he is going through his growing pains like any young quarterback. Look at Gabbert in Jax…. he is not on point and cannot produce much of anything. He has started almost as many games as Tebow and he was supposed to be the purest quarterback of the last draft coming out of college. IT takes these young guys a while to get NFL timing down and a comfort level to be reached. Elway was horrible his first couple of years. Give Tebow time and he will have some good throwing games in the not so distant future. Remember there was no team offseason this year so he is learning on the fly.
Carnage – I’m not a Tebow fanatic, but one difference between him and Orton that has a lot to do with our success is that Orton’s 3 and outs were via the pass, stopping the clock… Tebow’s 3 and outs are via the run, keeping the clocking going…
I also think TRB made a good point about Tebow helping the run game b/c the defense has to honor Tebow running..
So we are saying Tebow’s 3 and outs are better?
I’m saying Tebow’s weakness is better than Orton’s… A major reason why our defense is playing better is they have to play 2-3 less series b/c Tebow keeps the clock moving… With Orton, the defense would simple tire out towards the end of the game, and then give up the home run play…
a 3 and out is a 3 and out in my mind. Orton left too much time on the clock. Tebow does not. Tebow does give the team hope, but the defense is fresh because of the time run off the clock by Tebow. They are not getting a minute break like when Kyle was in there. They are getting several minutes and a heck of a lot more time to rest.
Carnage,
Its not really a comeback if u still lose or tebow gets credit for sandiego. We shouldn’t have had to come back against raiders. We had the game, but the crucial orton fumble in redzonish area and an int didn’t help, also everyone was fumbling.
Since that game orton threw like6 6 more ints. If u love him so much and hate tebow so much, feel free to join the ciefs. If u wanna know tebows impact like seweather says, ask the players that believe in him so much.
And the offense hasn’t regressed. We have turned the ball over LESS. We are running better and the oline is blocking better. Royal was dropping passes with orton and tebow, and decker is still doing his thing with a few drops here and there. Also Orton had spectacular catcher blloyd. And u do know we are still avg pretty much the same points offensively right? So I dunno which regression u are speaking of. U really need to get over ur hate and just enjoy what this team is doing. Aint like orton but I gave him credit when he earned it and I was happy when we won. He is gone. He is not coming back. He plays for our rivals.
TRB
3 & outs are bad no matter who is QB, in my opinion.
I hear ya OT, I am on the same page with you.
I stat I would LOVE to see is the average number defensive snaps our defense endured under Orton vs. Tebow in a game…
Hey guys whats this about me being drunk and changing my handle to 91 instead of 92???
I’ve looked back and couldn’t find any posts that had my name on them,except for the one about Novac peeing by the Gatorade stand!!!
Anyone shed some light on that for me,and tell me what time the posts were,thanks!
Im refering to the first sd game where tebow gave a spark but came up short in the second half.
And yes, when ur 3 and outs still keeps the clock running and u own top its better than passing 3 and outs … although CLEARLY, less 3 and outs would be better.
And yes this team used to not give their all, it was like they gave up half way thru the games at times. I saw it and many did. The mind set is different, the mentality is different and as a result they are never giving up. That may be a rub off of tebows intensity and will to win or it could be the new mindset fox and allen are trying to instill. Either way its clicking and im happy.
TRB
If teams are willing to sit back and make Tim hurt them with the pass, he will burn them that way as well. Our offense is blocking so well, run and pass, that he will have all day and the run is still there to hurt them as well. The option seems built for a player like Tim because he can absorb anything they dish out. He will begin to feel more comfortable in the pocket as the year progresses and next year there will be no more talk of will he succeed as a quarterback in the NFL because he will prove them all wrong with how much better his passing had gotten.
In Florida, he started out running most of the time and he began throwing and feeling comfortable more and more. He had 20 touchdown passes and 30 rushing I believe in his heisman year. Most of the rushing were on the goalline. He can sling it, but he needs to feel comfortable before he can do that with confidence. Give the kid time. As the team improves, so will everything else.
BFE, it was the multiple personality disorder guy who used your exact handle and switched the 2 with a one, it was handled first thing this am and all his posts were removed, he was acting as you and said he was getting drunk and just shot a deer at the zoo, etc, etc….. now you know.
Here’s my opinion, Tebow has quite a bit of work to do to become a better passer. I also think when the game starts he’s worried about his mechanics and messing up. Eventually we get behind and he says screw it, I’ll just throw it how I want to throw it and while his mechanics may not be the greatest he’s just throwing the ball the way he knows how. I think that’s why his first 4 or 5 passes usually seem to be off target. That’s just what I think may be happening.
When guys like champ say I will give 120 cuz I know he will give at least 110
When pro bowl and hof players like sapp and deion say they would follow him into a fox hole and call him a great leader … while still questioning his passing … yea I believe he influences players, even those older than him.
He is a young QB he is far from perfect but he is getting the job done. He has won more games than ortin 2010 and 2011 season. And orton has played more games. Clearly its a team sport so let’s say he has LED the team to more vitories than orton in 2010 and 2011.
Say what u want about his passing skills which I believe are getting better but one thing of his that has never been questioned is his intangibles.
And I back him so much cuz I like what he stands for as a person and a player and also because more people rather focus on his negatives and down play his positives. He is the last guy to take credit for the wins. He gives it to God and then his teammates, and its not just talk, he sounds like he genuinely means it.
I dunno his future in the Nfl … no one does but its looking good so far and I believe he is far from his cieling.
TRB
Thanks bay,I thought everyone was crazy.lol.
This guy dosen’t give up,he’s a lunatic!!!
TRB…I don’t hate TEbow….I have said many times that he is a good runner….I think he lacks in the area of being a quarterback and would put our franchise back 5-10 years….conversely I never said I liked Orton…even my 10-6 prediction was based on us playing defense and running the football…I am not mancrushing on Tebow nor am I going to give him credit for Champ playing unijured and well…DJ playing unijured and well….Elvin playing uninjured and well….Miller simply playing well…What people tend to forget in this “TEbow did it” phase that people are in (so ridiculous) that if the defense only allowed people to score 10-13 points a game at any point we won….lest we forget that during the “magical” 6-0 run under McD the defense was top 5 in the NFL and I forget who the qb was again….People ask asinine questions like “when was the last time this team won this many games in a row?” UHHHHHHH Orton did it….the key is defense…the key is the team is healthy and playing together….but this defense consistently saves Tebow…..not the other way around
Really TRB…first you guys all say the “experts” know nothing, and then the opinion of the experts count…Michael Irvin predicted TEbow would throw for 300 yards and Marshall Faulk said he would outrush the Chargers by himself…you know why they are on TV….that moves the needle…Irvin then began with Faulk to mock Tebow….only those wearing Tebow colored glasses fail to look at how we have become an NFL laughing stock…rather than the proud franchise we once were..
SN: Tebow is a fantastic person by all accounts…cannot take that from him…wouldn’t even try to
I don’t think the 6-0 start under Orton is comparable IMO, b/c if I remember, Orton was on pace to break Marino’s single season passing record… I think we have a FAR better shot of keeping up this ground and pound style than relying on Orton keeping up a pace like that….
Clearly I think u are just to overwhelmed on tebow news from the outside. All the fans know that the d is playing well and that its a team win. Even analyst are starting to recognize our defense. My problem with ur stand is u give Tebow credit for absolutely nothing … except his running I guess. He was the better option that’s why we switched to him and it is going well. Are there better options out there sure but this is the one we have and id rather spend a pick on our defense ane making that stronger than waste one on a shot in the dark QB in da draft when we got one that’s improving any game. The team doesn’t care who gets the credit. They are playing unselfish football and I love it. U just seem more intent on saying stuff like, if tebow improves his team so much why has he regressed em, if tebow is such an awesome leader why did they make mcgahee captain, almost everything u say about tebow is negative … nothing positive except … lemme guess, u think he is a good runner. Let the kid grow and learn and I personally don’t think he will set our franchise back, nor do I blame elway for saying he is not fully sold. Its his job to do his due delligence. TRB
I do not understand how or why everyone passes judgment on any of our rookies from this year, OR Tebow. First, there was no off season at all. Second, in Tebow’s defense, the only practice he had with the offense was the last three weeks of last year and the few weeks he has had this year so far. I really don’t believe there is one person on this blog that would have said when he took the field five weeks ago that we would be sitting here with the record that we have right now, and in contention for our division. I know I wouldn’t have guessed it.
Did I not say that they still trash him for his passing skills and that he wont succeed and blah blah blah. The point I made when refrencing the so called experts was that even tho they do not believe in tebow as a qb, they will follow him. That’s it. It was in defense of his intangibles. In defense of his ability to bring the best out of people. That was all. TRB
What are everyone’s thoughts on Jeremiah Johnson? I went back and looked at his highlights from Oregon and he was a stud. He also ran an option style offense there. I believe Knowshon will be let go and we could use Jeremiah better, if not equally as well. Plus he is much cheaper than Knowshon and couldn’t be hurt anymore tan him. He looks faster and tougher to me. I like him coming on strong with Willis next year and into the rest of this season.
WAY TO GO BRONCOS GETTING THE W’S
And I got nothing against u personally carnage, really I don’t, but sometimes ur negativity gets me. And ur desire to take any credit from tebow. Completes passes, its prevent defense, does anything its because of anyone but him. That may not be ur intentions but its what I hear. Just want u to know this is not a personal attack by anymeans before the admins delete our diologue or something. Got nothing but respect for ur football IQ, and ur fanhood (even tho I said u should join the chiefs if u love orton so much). TRB